I boarded a plane on Tuesday August 26th to travel across the world to race for 7 days in Madagascar.  It took 2 days to get there.  Over 25 hours sitting on planes!!!  Once I arrived I began to meet and bond with other racers.  Traveling in a developing country adds to the challenge.  Transportation, food, language .... are very different in Madagascar.  There is no organization, it is basically a free for all.  Many racers had to pay a bribe to get their race gear on the plane.  

The race organization pairs you with another runner for your first night.  My roommate was from Australia and currently lives in China.  We spent a good part of the day organizing are gear.  I had a little panic because my pack was 2 lbs heavier then hers and weighed in at 20 lbs without water.  After our official check in we were put into buses and transferred to our 1st camp.  Our 1st and 2nd camps were located on beaches by the Indian ocean.  We were greeted by locals and treated to a traditional dance ceremony.  At camp, we socialized with other racers, ate our 1st of 7 freeze dried meals, and settled into your tent with your new family for 7 days.  My tent had 3 men and 3 women. The men were from Israel, Britain, and the US.  The other women were from the US and Russia.  In all, there were 239 runners from 43 countries.

Wake up was around 5 am.  They dug 7 holes for the entire camp to do there business.  There were over 200 people in camp including volunteers and medics.  Those holes got pretty nasty. The morning routine included breakfast, packing your pack, taking care of your feet and a morning briefing on that days course. The race start was either 7 or 8 am.  

The first 4 days were around 25 miles, the 5th day was 50 miles and the last day was a 10k.  The weather was hot and humid.  At times, the temp reached in the high 90's.  I train at altitude and relatively cool temps.  I was really nervous about how I would respond to the heat.  My nutrition, hydration , and clothing were planned for heat and I ended up responding really well.  I did ditch my gaiters early on to save my feet from heating up and that ended up being a good thing.  The course was flat with lots of deep sand and dust.  There were also many river crossings.  I had some good falls.  I even got stuck in a rice patty.  I slipped off a log and instantly sunk to my hip in mud.  It took 2 people to pull me out.  I was lucky to keep my shoes.  Others were not so lucky.  I heard stories of people having to fish around to try and find their shoes.  There was a river crossing shortly after were I was able to wash up.

The course took us through many villages.  There was little to no western influence in these villages.  They lived in basic huts with no water or electricity.  Some of the villagers looked at us like we came from mars while others clapped and cheered for us.  During the 1st stage we ran with a local running group.  Most of them ran in flip flops.  There were times that the children would hold your hand and run with you through their village. We would stop and take pictures of them and show it to them.  They really loved to see themselves. 

A racer at camp said that the 1st three days took athleticism and the last 3 days were mental.  I would agree with this.  By day 3 you were breaking down.  Many people had feet that were destroyed from blisters, others were dealing with swelling, infections, dehydration, and bad stomachs.  You are tired, hungry, hot, and REALLY DIRTY.  You are given water to drink but nothing to clean up with.  In these conditions you have to be mentally tough.  Most racers have a moment where they want to quit and you have to fight those feelings.  Unfortunately, some do have to stop.   I think 40 people did not finish.

I went to Madagascar to experience another culture, create new friendships and to race.  I accomplished them all.  I have grown as a person because of this experience. Traveling alone and racing in a developing country so far from home has given me new found confidence.  I am ready for my next cool impossible!!!

My race results.  I was 27th overall, 5th women overall, and 1st in my age group .

I have been away for awhile because of family stuff.  It looks like a lot of great things are happening here.

 I thought I would give an update on my training for Madagascar.  This is a self supported 6 stage 7 day race in northern Madagascar.  The 1st 4 stages are 25 mile days, the 5th stage is 50 miles, and the last stage is 6 miles.  I carry everything I need for 7 days (toilet paper, food, sleeping bag, extra cloths, emergency stuff...). I have gotten my pack down to about 15 lbs.  The beginning of my race season I was training in the mountains and doing a lot of climbing. This was important for my earlier races. The last few weeks I have been doing more specific training for Madagascar. I have been mostly training on dirt and gravel roads with my race pack. My pace is slow and and I have been working on my form as well as making my pack as comfortable as possible.  I use poles to help with the weight with the earlier stages and will pack them up during the later stages once my pack lightens up.  One of the most challenging things about this race is nutrition.  I am required to have 14,000 calories on me at the beginning.  This is going to be a hot race and living in the mountains I am used to cooler weather. I am using a high calorie drink for breakfast and recovery.  Pocket fuel, bars, nuts and dried fruit for the race, and dehydrated meals for dinner.  They supply the water and hot water for meals.  I will also use SOS for electrolytes as well as electrolyte pills.  I will have a few treats with me. 

This will be my 1st race out of the country and first time in a developing country.  There are 250 racers, 40 americans and the largest number of women Racing the Planet has ever had! I hope to have a great race report for you when I get back.  Happy Racing.

The Big Horn 50k was more then just a race.  We set up camp in the high mountain meadows about 20 minutes from the race start.  Here there are meadows full of wildflowers and a ton of wildlife. We saw a bear, herds of elk, deer, moose and pronghorns.  There is also incredible fly fishing for the fishermen in my family.  The race starts with a 2 mile climb and wraps around a mountain before you head down to the valley.  There is 3753 ft of gain and 7320 ft of descent.  My goal was to keep it easy the 1st part of the course and make sure I fuel early and often because most of the downhill in the second part of the course was steep and technical which required a lot of leg strength as well as mental focus.  I managed to make it to the road in one piece.  The gravel road was the final 5 miles to the finish.  

I was passed by 2 women right before we hit the road and with about 3 miles to go another women came beside me.  I smiled at her but on the inside I thought to myself "shit, I am going to get passed again".  I was hot and tired and my mind was telling my body to let her go.  The road is miserable and most people walk it.  I kept fighting my thoughts and continued to run.  I was not very fast but it was enough to pull ahead .  

I also managed to hold off another women with less then 1/2 mile to go and finish the 4th women overall and 1st in my age group.  The finish line at the Big Horn is amazing.  It is in a great big park next to the river. There is a steady stream of over a 1000 racers in 4 different distances coming in to a lot of cheering. After a soak in the river, a burger, a beer,  and my rock for my 1st place finish, we headed back to camp.  

The camping, wildlife, meadows, canyons, and park add up to one incredible weekend experience.  Thanks again to Eric for getting me to the starting line physically and mentally prepared for me to do what I love to do- RACE!!!

Running with my 2 year old lab, Muddy, this past Saturday reminded me of the importance of not going out to fast.  When we hit the trail, Muddy took off.  He was so excited to be on the trails that he would run ahead then run back then run ahead and come back all at full speed.  This was the day after my 1/2 marathon and I was out for an easy run so I was steady and slow on the 1st hill.  20 minutes into the run I reached the top of the hill and found Muddy in a bush with his tongue hanging out trying to catch his breath.  It made me smile because it reminded me of all the times that I have gone out to hard.  I would like to say that I am getting better at this or at least more aware.

Every season I have races that are high priority races with a few lower priority races. As an athlete, I go into every race with a race plan ready to give it my all.  Sometimes I might go into a lower priority race a little tired but that doesn't mean I can't have good results. Lower priority races are a great place to gain race experience, practice race strategies or use as a tune up for a higher priority race.  For example, this weekend I am doing a 1/2 marathon road race in Jackson (a tune up race).  It will be a speed workout with some intensity.  The following weekend is a high priority race with a gravel road section at the end of the race.  I hope to draw from my 1/2 experience during these final miles.  Higher priority races are a time when all my training and racing experience come together. I would love Eric to chime in on a coaches perspective to different races.  Good luck to everybody and happy racing!!

After a few months off this winter to recharge and a few good blocks of training, I was ready for my 1st race. I was really excited to get on dirt and test my legs. I didn't have a time goal. My race plan was simple, don't go out too hard, ease up a little on the hills, and put it into another gear for the last 5k. Here is what I emailed to Eric.

I had a really good race. I learned how to push myself to another level
of pain. I will explain in a second.

I was 2nd in my age group and either 4th or 5th women overall. They only
have official results for 1st female overall and age group awards. I am
going off what people are telling me about overall women. I know I was
25th out of 327 men and women. A lot of men got chicked today. I forgot
to turn watch off at the end . My time from them was 2:26, 8.48 pace,
the course was longer -16.57miles. My avg HR was 172 and my max was 188-
yikes. I never looked at it after the 1st 3 miles and went by feel.
There was wind and the temp was perfect for me . Race start around 37
and finishing inflow 40¹s.

I started like you told me. I eased into zone 4 and didn¹t go higher for
at leaf the 1st 3miles. There was a nice hill and I kept it easy. Then
I stopped looking at my watch. I fueled after hard efforts. I had 3
gels. there were 3 hard long climbs and 2 fast downhills. There was a
good technical section and then some dirt roads. I knew that there were
only a few women ahead of me . After about 8 miles we were on a long
climb with switch backs and I saw a women slowly gaining on me. That was
it, my competitive side kicked in and I didn¹t want her to catch me. I
stuck with our plan and kept it easier on the uphill knowing that I could
go harder on flats and downhills. She got within a hundred yards of me
with 5 miles to go. I had one more uphill and I hoped that she wouldn¹t
catch me on it because there was know way I could hammer it and then kick
it into another gear. She continued to gain on me but I kept pushing.
This is were the new level of pain kicked it. This is a time when I
would have probably eased up a little. She finally caught me with about
200 yards to go. She did what I did at the 10k. I was spent and so was
she, she said that I had been pushing her for the last 8 miles. We
crossed the line together. I literally thought I was going to pass out.

Anyway, body is tired but I was able to eat and drink pretty soon after
so that was good.

Thanks as always. Your training is key to my success.

Eric has been my coach for many years.  In the beginning, I was not a big fan of HR monitors.  It took some getting used to.  Now, it has become a great tool and gives me information about myself during my runs.  It has just been in the last few years that I have begun to appreciate my zone 2 runs.  

At first, I didn't pay much attention to them, they were just slow easy runs. I was eager to get through them.  Now, I take advantage of them and I am learning more about my running through them. They are a viable part of my training.

Not all runs have to be about pace or distance.   During these runs I focus on my form .  I go through a mental check list ; how is my posture, am a clenching my fists, are my feet landing underneath me, is my cadence high, what does my breathing pattern sound like....  It is also a good time to practice drinking and fueling, depending on the length of the run.  Basically, I use these runs to help me become a more efficient runner.  

The longer the run the more focus it takes because as my mind wonders my pace will either pick up or slow down.  Having good form in this zone takes practice and patients.  I notice that as I get better on these runs, my running as a whole improves.  

After reading The Cool Impossible, I have realized that there are many similarities between reading and running. For those who have not read The Cool Impossible, Eric brings his readers to Jackson Hole where you visualize running in the mountains while you dream about your next adventure.  The difference between his book and others is that he gives you the tools to accomplish your cool impossible.  

Reading allows me to unplug and loose myself into the readers world.  Many of the books that I read make me think well after I put the book down.  I like to read books that are in unique settings or have a message.  Running is very similar.  I run to loose myself.  I know its time to end my run when I start thinking about what I need to do in my everyday life.  I also run to explore.  It doesn't matter if it's the same route that I always do or a new trail, I can always find something new about my run.

Don't let running be like the stack of books on your bedside table that you don't have time for. Or the string of books that haven't been that good and discourages you from diving into your next book.

In 2014, I will continue to explore the world  through reading and running.  Both stimulate my adventurous side.  They allow me to loose myself and dream.   This year I will be visualizing, dreaming, and training for my next adventure in Madagascar.  I will be traveling across the world and exploring a land that is unfamiliar and exotic.  

What are some of the books that inspire you?

Here are a few of mine- Seven Years in Tibet, Unbroken, Shackleton, The Power of One, and The Alchemist.  And of course The Cool Impossible.  If you want to know my story read the last chapter!!!

Happy New Year

1. Old regrets. 

2. The excuses you've been telling yourself

3. What you don't have (like time..)

4. Always feeling safe and comfortable

5. Fear of Failure

"The more you do it, the more you want to do it, and thus the more motivated and capable you are to do it. It’s not always easy if you are somewhere that you’ve been dozens of times previously, but you can always slow things down, look around, look for something new, and go explore it. As soon as you do this, you will find yourself wanting more. The satisfaction of doing this will make you want to look for more, and no matter how many times you have been down the same trail, you will begin to find that there is always a new way to experience old locations. Wander, get lost, stop, and sit down, it’s actually very easy to make the outdoor world feel like a very novel and unique place because, no matter how many times you’ve been in a particular place, it’s always a little different each time you go back." by Geoff Roes

The G2G is a 6 day self supported stage race (they supply tent and water).  I could write a book on this experience, instead I want to focus on the last advice that Eric gave me before I headed into the desert.  My velcro on my shoe that was to secure my gaiters was coming off and I started to panic.  People were talking about how important it is to have the right gaiters and how you should attach them to save your feet from blisters.  I had done it completely wrong according to some people and I started to go crazy with the super glue in my hotel room.  At one point I super glued my shoe to the bed.  I emailed Eric about my dilemma and his response was "DON'T GIVE THE SHOE/VELCRO ANY POWER".  Those words struck a cord and helped me through my entire race.  I stopped panicking and let it go.  I will deal with the sand when it happens.  The first day, I had to cut a huge whole in my shoe were the super glue got on the material and made the shoe really stiff!!.  I was never bothered by the shoes/ gaiters again.  A little duck tape every morning and I was good to go.  I didn't let any of the elements have power over me.  There was wind, heat, sickness, hunger, no sleep, cold, steep climbs, sore body, and lots and lots of deep soft sand.  There were times that I had to crawl up sand dunes because I didn't have the strength to climb. I stayed focused on the moment and would deal with each situation as it came but never gave it the power to stop me from achieving my goal.  The point is that anybody can use this advise to help them get out the door and start something they never thought possible. I am happy to report that I was 3rd in my age group and 7th women overall.

The G2G is less then 3 weeks away.  It is time to get serious about figuring out the logistics of packing and working out my race strategy for a 6 day self-supported stage race.  I have been dealing with a hurt achilles and although it is getting stronger and feeling better, it has set me back in my training a bit.  This last month, I have focused on cross training and hiking with my pack.  I may not be as competitive as I would like in the race but feel good about my endurance.  During my strength workouts with Eric we have been focusing on upper body strength.  I am feeling muscles that I never knew existed. Packing my food, cloths, sleeping bag and pad and all the required stuff and keeping it light is not an easy task.  I still have some work to do in that department and hope to get my pack between 15 and 20 lbs.  I am really looking forward to meeting so many people from around the world. I think there are over 30 countries represented.  Lastly, this will be the first time in 22 years that I will be off "mom duty".  There are no cell phones allowed.  

A quick race report.   My plan was to start slow.  So slow that if I felt like I was working, slow down.  This is hard for me because I am used to being up front.  I was at the back of the pack for almost 18 miles.  I came to the aid station, fueled and relaxed.  I reloaded my vest and continued to a long section of climbing and rolling hills.  I was feeling good and was able to run the sections that I needed to.  At about 30 miles, I had passed a lot of the people that were flying in the beginning.  There were sections of the course that I used other runners to help pace me.  Running with others helped motivate me at times when I wanted to slow down, especially towards the end of the race.  I was also able to help others when they weren't feeling their best.  My fueling was good and my legs held up (I did fall twice).  The majority of the course was single track and a lot of it was technical.  There was a nice cold creek at the finish line that everybody soaked in.  I was very happy with my 1st 50 miler.  I placed 2nd in my division and 10th overall female!! Again, thanks to Eric and the running we did together to get me ready for this race.  My BIG race is this September.  So it doesn't look like I will be getting much rest.

A week from friday I will be running the R2R2R.  There will be 5 of us heading to the Grand Canyon to run what most of us consider a" bucket list" run.  For me this will be the longest distance that I have run, around 45 miles.  I have been hitting the trails hard these last few months and have been lucky to have Eric on many of them.  Coming from a triathlon background I am used to faster training runs.  Eric has really helped change my mental approach to slowing things down on trails.  We have worked on cadence, foot strike, downhill, and the importance of a slower, steadier pace so that I can go the distance.  I have been building strength by climbing. He still has thrown in some faster pace runs but for the most part it has been a LOT of climbing.  I am very excited and will let you know how it goes!

1.  Know were your fitness level is for that particular race and don't let success or failure of one particular race define who you are as an athlete.

2.  Visualization.  In my case I right a story of how I want the race to go.  Work through your anxiety triggers before the race and how you will deal with them.

3.  Don't worry about the outcome.  Stay focus on the present and do the things that you know you can control.

4. Have fun.

Race season is beginning or has begun for a lot of us.  I am 1 week out from my first endurance race of the year- IM St. George.  I like to use this time to prepare mentally for the race, especially now that I am beginning to tapper.  I would like to share a few tips from Eric.

1st- Trust your training.
        You have trained hard, so relax and trust all that you have done.

2nd- Visualization
        This is the time I start to  visualize my race.  Even if you have never seen the course, you can visualize              yourself racing strong.  Eric says there are no rules to
         visualization.  Focus on the things you know will be a challenge and make it "right" in what you see.
         For example, I visualize getting my googles knocked off, changing a tire while people speed past me,              and fueling late in the race when I am sore and tired and
         just want to be finished.

Lastly- Keep positive
         If it helps, develop a Mantra for the race, and eliminate negative talk.
         It is natural to feel nervous.  Eric believes it is necessary.  He tells me that it is because the race means            something and it leaves a question mark in my head about
         how I will do.  It makes me aware.  Embrace this nervous energy- and enjoy the moment.

         ****If anybody has any other tips, please share them******